The Academy Awards: A Special Oscar Preview
Written while attending Louisiana State University and published in the Plaquemine Post South in 1991.
BY: DAVID B. GOURGUES
If you follow movies closely and have been keeping up with the entertainment articles and television shows the last few weeks, you know that almost every film critic across America usually slams the Academy Awards for being too business oriented and not selecting films for their artistic achievement. True. Since I have been watching the Academy Awards, I don't think a year has passed that I or anyone else I know, has totally agreed with them. But before we jump to hasty conclusions, let us examine reasons why the awards are the way they are: a glamorous, business ceremony that doesn't honor the best performances of the previous year.
The main complaint against Oscar is that its members are too old - in fact, ancient. The average age of one of the approximately 5,000 Academy members is extremely higher than the average moviegoing audience. Furthermore, some members do not even see all the movies that are nominated or vote themselves. Case in point: In the Academy Award issue of the excellent film publication Premiere Magazine, Chicago film critic Gene Siskel brings up two instances that shed the awards into a bad light.
(1) Siskel tells the story of how in a 1978 interview with Henry Fonda, Mr. Fonda said that he gave his vote to his wife. Mrs. Fonda confirmed this and said that many other stars did the same. (2) In 1989, at a backstage press conference after she won the Best Actress Award for the film Driving Miss Daisy, Jessica Tandy was asked by Siskel to comment on the controversy surrounding her film and Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing (the other main film in 1989 about racism - and a far more superior film). Mrs. Tandy, a voting member of the Academy responded, "I haven't seen Do The Right Thing."
I think the above examples speak for themselves - the best performances or films usually do not win or even are not nominated because of the casual manner in which some members treat the awards. Now, here are my choices for who I think will win and should win an Oscar in some major categories this Monday, March 30, at the Academy Awards.
BEST ACTRESS
Geena Davis - Thelma & Louise
Susan Sarandon - Thelma & Louise
Laura Dern - Rambling Rose
Jodie Foster - Silence of the Lambs
Bette Midler - For The Boys
* Davis and Sarandon should cancel each other out while Midler's nomination is just a way to console her for her movie's poor performance at the box office. The Academy loves Foster and she could well walk away with her second Oscar for Best Actress - she won her first for The Accused. Laura Dern probably had the year's best performance, but no one saw Rambling Rose. The Oscar goes to Foster.
BEST ACTOR
Warren Beatty - Bugsy
Robert De Niro - Cape Fear
Anthony Hopkins - Silence of the Lambs
Nick Nolte - The Prince of Tides
Robin Williams - The Fisher King
* Williams is another Academy favorite, but only as a nominee. It will probably always be hard for him to win. De Niro has won before and his character from Cape Fear is not very likeable. This is a three way race between Beatty, Hopkins, and Nolte. Beatty, in my opinion, had the best performance of the year. Hopkins was not on screen long enough - around 25 minutes - and should have been nominated for best supporting actor. Nolte, who won the Golden Globe award for best actor in a drama in January, could have a chance if Beatty and Hopkins cancel each other out. Nolte's performance in The Prince of Tides is the kind that is popular with older members of the Academy. The Oscar goes to Hopkins, but Beatty gets my vote. Also, where is River Phoenix's nomination for his role in My Own Private Idaho?
BEST DIRECTOR
Jonathan Demme - Silence of the Lambs
Barry Levinson - Bugsy
Ridley Scott - Thelma & Louise
Oliver Stone - JFK
John Singleton - Boyz N The Hood
* Levinson has won before for Rain Man and Scott is a long shot. The Academy loves Oliver Stone and he already has won the Golden Globe. The popularity of Silence of the Lambs should make Demme the front runner. Singleton, the youngest person and only black ever nominated for the Best Director award, deserves the Oscar. Unfortunately, he won't get it. The Oscar goes to Demme, probably just edging out Stone.
BEST FILM
Beauty and the Beast
Bugsy
JFK
The Prince of Tides
Silence of the Lambs
* Beauty and the Beast should not even be nominated. Sure, it is one of 1991's best films, but it is animated. Oscar needs a separate category for films of this nature. Bugsy is my choice. It is powerful and Beatty's performance carries it a long way. JFK has a lot of controversy surrounding it - but that should not effect it at all. It is definitely the second best film in the group behind Bugsy. The Prince of Tides is nothing more than a movie of the week. But the Academy goes for films like Tides. The Silence of the Lambs is a first-rate thriller with first-rate performances by Hopkins, Foster and Demme. But check out Michael Mann's Manhunter (it is at the video stores), it is also about Dr. Hannibal Lector and is a far more superior film. The only film that I would vote for instead of Bugsy is Boyz N The Hood and it is not nominated. The Oscar goes to Silence of the Lambs - my vote goes to Bugsy.
There you have it. What I think will happen at the Academy Awards. If I get just one pick correct than I will consider myself lucky. As far as suggestions for future Academy Awards, I agree with Siskel's sidekick and my favorite film critic, Roger Ebert. Ebert suggests that the Academy have 10 nominees in each category with five nominated in June to remember the performances from the beginning of the year and five nominated in December to cover the last half of the year. Will this ever happen? Probably not. But just think of the Academy Awards as a sister to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Anything can happen. After all, this is MARCH MADNESS!